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Honk n' Blow 2025!
When:
May 20th, 6pm - Students of WEJ, Kanata Highlands
May 27th, 6pm - Students of SLPS, Roland Michener
**If you can't make it to your assigned date, please attend the other one.**
Where:
Earl of March Auditorium
What:
You will have a chance to learn about the music program and try out the instruments so you can find the most fitting instrument for you! It is an important step in ensuring success for your child in grade 7 music, as instrument choice is an individual thing and having the most suitable instrument will make music class so much easier and more fun!
Here is what the evening will look like:
Step 1: View a presentation by Mr. Steiner and Ms. Hardiman in the auditorium
Step 2: Head over to the intermediate classes to try out all of the instruments (at least one instrument from each instrument group)
Step 3: Use the QR codes (posted in the foyer) to fill out the instrument selection form (paper copies available on request)
Bring a pen!
Check out the video description of the different instruments HERE before you come so you know what to expect.
Welcome, Grade 6s!
EOM Music is a vibrant part of the school and provides many opportunities to perform in bands of various types, like concert bands, jazz bands, small ensembles, and even a string ensemble for violins, violas, and cellos. Music is meant to be entertaining, so as long as you have the right attitude, we will make sure you are having fun playing, listening to, and learning music.
Choosing an instrument to play in grade 7 is a big decision, as you will be playing that instrument for the next two years! Whether you have never touched an instrument before, or if you have been taking music lessons for years, Mr. Steiner and Ms. Hardiman will work with you over the next two years to help you discover how much fun it is to play an instrument.
EOM Grade 7 Music Intro Video
Click the button below to fill out the instrument selection form:
Contents:
Overview of Instrument Details
Music Program Overview
Band Program Overview
Practicing, Lessons
Music Stores
Borrowing, Renting, or Buying an Instrument
Overview of Instrument Details
Oboe
The oboe looks very similar to the clarinet but uses a double reed. It is a bit harder to find a used oboe as there are very few oboe players in the city. The school may have one available for next year. It is the hardest woodwind instrument to play as the fingerings are considerably harder to master than any of the other woodwind instruments. When we have students wanting to play the oboe, we ask the parents if their child is a generally patient person and quick at figuring things out, as that will go a long way to ensuring success on the oboe.
The cost of a used oboe varies but rarely would you find one for less than $1000. You can rent from music stores for around $30 a month and up. A brand new oboe can cost over $2000 at a music store.
Flute
The flute is one of the more popular instruments at Earl Of March and one of the cheapest to buy both from a store and on Kijiji etc. (because there are so many out there!). We have a number of these available at the school. Although it can be hard for some students to be successful at first, once they figure out the embouchure (how to form their lips) it isn’t too terribly hard for most. We also usually take an unlimited amount of flute players in the bands.
If you were interested in getting a flute of your own, you can buy a decent one for anywhere from $200 or higher on Kijiji. As stated before, You must be careful what brand you purchase though. From a store, you can rent a student model for as low as $14 a month for a used instrument.
Depending on the brand, a good new flute would probably cost anywhere from $350 to $600.
Clarinet
The clarinet is also one of the cheapest instruments to purchase or rent. We also have a number of these at the school. It is very much like the recorder except it uses a reed. It’s one of the easiest instruments to start on but gets harder to play for some students once the students have to go across the break into the higher range.
There are no limits to how many clarinet players we take in the bands as it is one of the softer instruments.
You can rent a student model clarinet from a store for $14 and up a month. Please note that we have a number of bass clarinets at school but we save them for the Senior Band.
Depending on the brand, a good new flute would probably cost anywhere between $350 and $600.
Alto Saxophone and Tenor Saxophone
We start the students off on either the Alto or Tenor saxophone. The difference between the two is that the Tenor is bigger and therefore also slightly more expensive to purchase or rent. If you have your heart set on Alto sax, I strongly suggest you put tenor as your 2nd choice just in case.
We are very limited in how many saxophones we have at school so many students that want saxophones will be asked to purchase or rent their own.
You can rent a used student saxophone for around $26 or $27 a month from some stores. If getting one from Kijiji, be aware that if it seems like you are “getting a great deal,” sometimes the pads may need replaced on that instrument, which can be quite costly. If it’s a high quality instrument, however, it may be worth it! Generally a used student alto sax that is any good would cost at least $500. Be careful of knockoffs! A decent new student alto sax would cost at least somewhere in the $1000 range.
A used Tenor sax is a bit more expensive to rent ($30 and up) and sometimes a bit more expensive to buy used as well. A decent new student tenor Sax would probably go for at around $1300.
We have school Baritone saxes but we use those for grade 8’s in Senior band and the Jazz bands. We do not start students on the soprano sax.
We may have a limit on how many saxophone students will be in the bands because it is generally a much louder instrument.
Trumpet
To play any brass instrument, a student will need to learn how to buzz their lips to produce a sound. Often the fullness of their lips may determine which instrument is best for them.
The trumpet often gets the melody in both concert and jazz bands. The school has a number trumpets available but many students get their own as they are not too expensive.
The cost of a decent used trumpet will be at least $200 to $350 depending on the brand and how old they are. Even older trumpets that are a good brand are of high quality. They may have some scratches and the laquer may have came off but if the valves are still in good shape, they would be fine. There are alot of trumpet players in the city so it’s fairly easy to find a good used instrument.
A decent new student trumpet is probably going to cost at least $600 depending on the brand.
When purchasing an instrument with valves (trumpet, French horn, baritone), you need to be careful to stick to brand names as the metal used to make the instrument is much stronger. A common problem with poor quality instruments is sticking valves because the valve casings will dent easily.
French Horn
The hardest instrument to play in the brass family is the French horn. We have a few of these at the school and we hope to have 2 or 3 take it up next year. What makes it hard is that you have to have an extremely good ear to be able to match pitches. We usually ask students that want to take it up whether they have a vocal background or not. It’s not essential but it sure helps.
As pointed out, we have 2 or 3 at the school available. Some parents may wish to rent one for their child as they would probably be of better quality.
There are two types of French horns. One is called the single horn (or F horn) which doesn’t have a trigger. Most of the students will start on this horn. The other is a double Bb horn which has a trigger. It can be played as an F horn or a Bb horn. The more advanced players eventually move onto the Bb horn, especially in High school. A single F horn is good enough for their first two years though.
If you wanted to rent a single horn, it would cost at least $35 a month for a used horn. The double horn would probably cost about $60 a month.
Every once in a while, there is an older single F horn available on Kijiji. They can be found sometimes for only a few hundred dollars but they are fairly rare. Good double horns are hard to find for less than $2000. New horns can cost over $2000 and the the double horns are even more.
Bassoon
One instrument we would like to have at least one student take up this year is the Bassoon.
Like the oboe, it also uses a double reed and has a unique sound. However, it is a bit easier to play than an oboe as far as fingerings go. We should have one bassoon available from the school for next year and we hope to have at least one student take it up!
There are very few used bassoons available because there are even fewer bassoon players than there are oboe players. You may find a used bassoon on Kijiji for a couple thousand dollars if you are lucky!
A new bassoon would cost at least $4500 and up. A used one may rent for around $60 a month or more.
Trombone
The trombone is also used in both the concert bands and jazz bands, and uses a similar mouthpiece to the trumpet, only larger. There aren’t quite as many trombone players in the city but it’s still fairly easy to find good quality used trombones for a good price. Like a trumpet, used trombones may have a few scratches or the laquer is rubbed off a bit, but if it is a good brand, it will be fine. The good thing about the trombone is that there’s not much that can go wrong with them as long as the main slide is in good shape!
Trombones have a bigger mouthpiece so some students find it easier to get a good sound.
A good used trombone can be purchased for around $200 to $350. There are often some for less but you need to make sure they are a decent brand. New trombones can go for about $500 or more depending on the brand.
The school has a few trombones available but many students get their own as they are not too costly.
Baritone (also known as Euphonium)
An instrument that is similar to trombones in the sound they produce is the Baritone/Euphonium. It actually uses the same mouthpiece as the trombone, but uses valves.
The cost of the baritone is quite high so we try to supply them from the school. They are also a bit bigger so we try to supply students with one for home and one for school so they don’t need to be hauled back and forth. The one at home is usually an older one but it will work fine. Parents are welcome to rent or purchase their own if they wish but it is not necessary. We have openings for approximately 3 baritone players. Because we are limited on how many baritones we have available, we ask that the baritone players make the commitment to being in band.
If you wanted to rent a baritone it would cost at least $35 a month. To purchase one, expect to pay at least $1400 for a decent new one. There are very few used baritones around but every once in awhile you might find one for sale.
Tuba
The grand daddy of the Brass family is the Tuba. We have openings for about 2 or 3 tuba players this year. Like the baritone, we try to have a tuba for the student at home as well as one at school since they are so big and too hard to carry them back and forth.
The tuba is one of the harder brass instruments to learn as it takes a lot of air to play. It is quite big but the students use a stand to balance it on so their size doesn’t matter a whole lot.
If you were interested in renting your own, they could be rented from a store for $60 or so for a used one. Again there are very few tuba players in the city so there aren’t too many used ones around.
To buy a new tuba, it can cost at least 3 or 4 thousand dollars!
Please note that the students that we pick for the tuba will have to commit to being in band as there are only a few available and with the large bands we have, we need as many tubas as possible.
Percussion
Percussion is an instrument that we generally get many students initially wanting to sign up for. Percussionists are required to learn both the snare drum and bells (same key pattern as piano), and drum kit is not taught in grade 7. Percussion is not nearly as easy as it looks and we expect the percussion students to be well rounded percussionists and not just drummers or just bell players. The students will be expected to purchase or rent a “bell kit” which consists of a small set of bells and a practice pad.
The cost of a new bell kit will vary depending what brand you rent or buy or what store you get them from. They can vary in price from $180 to over $300. On Kijiji you can often find them for $150 or so but they are fairly rare. We would strongly recommend that parents buy them as they can be easily sold for not much less than you purchased them after grade 8 if they don’t continue as they don’t usually get much wear and tear unlike other instruments.
The bell kit includes a small set of bells and a practice pad which, when you hit it, feels like a snare drum but doesn’t have the loudness. This is a relief to parents and neighbors of a percussion student. We don’t recommend that students rent or buy a snare drum as they will automatically get one if they advance far enough to want to purchase a drum set (which is optional by the way!).
We do limit the number of students that can enroll in percussion. We prefer that the percussionists have a piano background as it is very similar to the bells. We also insist on good focus and behaviour during class as they are at the back of the class and have many things they can hit to cause distractions. In addition to the snare drum and bell kit, percussionists will learn the bass drum, as well as the various small percussion instruments such as the tambourine, triangle, etc.
For the bands, there are usually auditions in grade 7 because we only need a few players. Not to be negative, but please be advised that your child may never get a chance to be in band if they sign up for percussion unless they really practice and are focused.
Music Program Overview
Each class will have two 40-minute classes per week.
We do not teach piano, guitar, or violin. These instruments may be used in ensembles, but not in regular music class.
Students work as a class using the band method book "Tradition of Excellence Book 1." You can purchase one yourself, or borrow one from the school. If the school-owned books are lost or destroyed, a $10 replacement fee will be charged.
Most instruments require reeds, valve oil, and other supplies. The school will provide generic brands to cover these supplies, but you are welcome to purchase your own from a music store. If these supplies are treated as disposable, students will be asked to provide their own.
Band Program Overview
Grade 7s will have the opportunity to join the Junior Band. A sign-up sheet will be posted in late October and any student who signs up will be placed in the band (up to a maximum of 150 students) with the exception of percussion players. Percussion may be auditioned if we have more than 5 percussionists sign up. Rehearsals take place Tuesdays after school from 3-4:10pm and Thursday at 2nd break.
Attendance is mandatory as the band functions like a sports team, where people come to depend on each other by hearing other player's parts to know when they should come in. Please send a quick email if your child is unable to attend any rehearsal.
As far as sports are concerned, we work with the phys ed teachers to make sure that grade 7 sports don't occur at the same time as grade 7 band, so students are free to do both sports and music.
There are numerous performance opportunities. The junior band will perform in the Winter Concert, Spring Concert, and the Capital Region MusicFest in February.
Practicing, Lessons
In order to achieve success on their instrument, students will need to practice. 20 minutes, 2-3 times per week is sufficient to keep pace with the rest of the class. In addition, the two music rooms are open during most recesses for students to come in and practice. When practicing, the number one thing to consider is make sure you're having fun!
If you are interested, there are many great music teachers in the city who could provide private lessons to help students progress. This would be helpful if students are falling behind, want to progress quickly, or during the summer before grade 7 in order to get a head start. Contact Mr. Steiner or Mrs. Hardiman to get some suggestions when looking for a teacher.
Music Stores
The following music stores provide instrument rentals and/or supplies:
Long & McQuade - 66 Hearst Way, Kanata www.long-mcquade.com
Musicare (Ottawa company) - 4534 Anderson Rd, Carlsbad Springs www.shopmusicare.com
Borrowing, Renting, or Buying an Instrument
***The school does have a number of instruments to lend to students for the year, but please understand that it may be financially necessary for some families to borrow a school instrument and so we encourage renting where possible in order to keep those school instruments available.***
We will supply the bigger, more expensive instruments! (tuba, baritone, french horn, bassoon)
Tips when selecting an instrument to rent or buy:
Contact the music stores listed above.
Look for brand name instruments: Yamaha, Selmer, Buffet, Conn
These brands are far more durable, are easier to play and repair, and have a much higher resale value.
Check the warranty and repair policy
Rent or Rent-to-Own programs exist and can vary depending on renting a new or used instrument. Phone around to different stores!
Student model is good enough
Avoid these instruments when purchasing: Zeus, First Act, Sunrise, Walmart, Costco
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